Bulldog Bites
Your weekly update from the South Glens Falls CSD
Dear SGF Families,
As hard as it is to believe, we are less than a week away from the start of the 2022-23 school year. Our staff is ready to welcome our students back on Thursday, Sept. 8, 2022.
Our staff has been hard at work getting everything ready for a great 2022-23 have been hard at. To help things go smoothly, we want to review a few items of interest before the school year begins.
Reminder about the first day of school.
We are excited to welcome our students back on Thursday, Sept. 8, 2022. If you have any questions about your child(ren's) bus routes, please contact our transportation department as soon as possible.
Here are a few of our best tips to get day 1 started right:
Get a goodnight's sleep: We know that with the excitement, it can be difficult, but try your best to rest up.
Get things ready the night before: Save time in the morning by laying out your outfit and ensuring you have all your necessary supplies ready.
Check out the menu: Our September menus will be posted soon on our website, so be sure to check them out.
Double-check bus information: Be sure to look at your bus assignments to know where to be and when.
Three themes review
- Every student should feel safe in our school. (Safety)
- Mental health struggles affect many of our students and we need to understand the effects and support all of our students in need. (Mental Health)
- Students should be engaged in their learning, and we must provide our students with a variety of opportunities for the changing world. (Future Ready)
While the work being done around our district on these themes has changed over time, these continue to be our top priorities for the upcoming school year, and we will continue to focus our efforts in these areas. Please look for a video series we will be doing throughout the year highlighting the work across the district.
ParentSquare & SchoolTool
We thank all of our families for signing up for ParentSquare this summer. This new communications tool will provide our families not only with alerts and postings but will also be your go-to spot for calendar updates, teacher communications, volunteer information and even permission slip submissions.
If you have not yet signed up for ParentSquare, check your email for the invitation. If there are any questions, please contact Jerilyn Stellato, Director of Technology Integration and Information, at (518) 824-2250.
As a reminder, student schedules are available on SchoolTool.
COVID info
Once again this year, the South Glens Falls CSD will follow the guidance provided by the New York State Department of Health regarding COVID protocol.
COVID Positive Students/Staff
Regardless of vaccination status, if a student tests positive for COVID-19 they must isolate for a full five days. Students may return to school after day five if they have no symptoms.
For example:
Day 0: Symptom onset or tested positive.
Day 1 – 5: Stay home
Day 6: Return to school if asymptomatic or remain out until symptoms subside. Masks should be worn from days 6 to 10, but they are not required.
If a student tests positive for COVID-19 and takes an Over-the-Counter (i.e., at-home, take-home) antigen test, parents/guardians should report the results to the local department of health. A positive test result can be reported here.
In order for students who have tested positive and have had symptoms to return to school after five days, they must:
Be fever-free for 24 hours without fever-reducing medication.
Have no symptoms that have worsened over time.
There may also be times when a student has COVID-19 symptoms, such as fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, the new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, or diarrhea. Regardless of whether or not there is a known exposure to COVID-19, it is imperative that students who are sick do not attend school.
There are many other sicknesses that can present the same symptoms as COVID. When a student or staff member is sick, they should stay home for at least 24 hours after onset. They should be fever free to return.
Symptomatic students and staff will continue to be sent home and testing will continue to be offered for our students and staff by the nurses with parent permission.
Screening testing will continue in all buildings for non-symptomatic students and staff if requested. At-home tests will be sent home following testing.
For the 2022-23 school year, COVID absences will be treated like other absences. Upon request, students will receive makeup work to do while they are out of school. Students should check their google classrooms often for updated materials to do online. Teachers will be allowed to provide google meet links if it works with their instruction. Still, not all classes will be available online during the time of illness.
Sharing of first day of school photos
Our staff will be busy taking first-day photos. Be on the look for staff photographers as you drop your students off. We will also post pictures to our social media throughout the day on Thursday and into the coming days.
We also welcome our families to share their photos of the first day with us. Feel free to send your pictures to mcavoyminork@sgfcsd.org to be featured on our social media.
New this year, we are asking any families who wish for their child(ren) not to be photographed for district purposes to fill out our Do Not Photograph Request form. Please try to have these completed by Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2022.
Free and Reduced Lunch Reminder for this year
Will there be meals "free/no charge" for all students for the 2022-23 school year?
Unfortunately, no. The USDA provided additional funding for school districts nationwide during the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing all students to access breakfast and lunch at no charge. These waivers and additional funding are not available for the 2022-23 school year.
To cover the cost of providing meals to students, the district will resume charging for students who do not qualify for free or reduced-price meals.
Students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals can eat breakfast and/or lunch at no cost.
How much will meals cost if my student does not have meal benefits?
Current meal prices are:
Elementary School
Breakfast: $1.25
Lunch: $2.50
Milk: $0.50
Middle School
Breakfast: $1.25
Lunch: $2.50
Milk: $0.50
High School
Breakfast: $1.25
Lunch: $2.50
Milk: $0.50
Why should I apply for free and reduced-price meals?
Qualifying for free and reduced-price meals can unlock additional benefits for students, including reduced fees for exams.
Participating in your school's meal program helps your school save money.
School meals are nutritious and convenient.
How do I know if my family/student will qualify for free or reduced-priced meals?
Any family can apply for free or reduced-price meals. Use this form to apply for free/reduced-price meals.
Our Food Services Department would be happy to answer any questions you have about the application process.
Please contact Rose Cotrell at cottrellr@sgfcsd.org or call 518-824-2225 for more information.
Open House Dates
We hope that our parents/guardians will be able to join us for our Open House dates this year. The dates are as follows:
- Ballard Elementary School: September 15, 2022, 6:30 p.m.
- Moreau Elementary School: September 22, 2022, 6:30 p.m.
- Tanglewood Elementary School: September 27, 2022, 6:30 p.m.
- Harrison Avenue Elementary School: September 29, 2022, 6:30 p.m.
- Oliver W. Winch Middle School: October 6, 2022, 6:30 p.m.
- Senior High School: October 27, 2022, 6:30 p.m.
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About us
The South Glens Falls Central School District was formed in 1945 through the consolidation of 15 rural schools, and was the first chartered school district in Saratoga County by the New York State Board of Regents. It covers 70 square miles in Saratoga County, serving approximately 20,000 residents in the Village of South Glens Falls and towns of Moreau, Northumberland and Wilton. The total district enrollment is about 3,000 students.
The district comprises four neighborhood K-5 elementary schools, one middle school and one senior high school. Class sizes average 20 students. A professional staff of more than 500 provides a high level of instruction that is creative, challenging and responsive to student needs.
Email: mcavoyminork@sgfcsd.org
Website: https://www.sgfcsd.org/
Location: 42 Merritt Road, South Glens Falls, NY, USA
Phone: 518-793-9617
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SGFallsCSD
Twitter: @SGFSchools